St. Mary's Church

Jonah (Jonah 3:1-5, 10) was a reluctant prophet.  He was called by God to preach against the city of Nineveh because, “their wickedness has come up before me.”  Instead, Jonah attempted to run away from his divine commission.  He boarded a ship, was cast overboard and swallowed by a great fish, rescued in a marvelous manner, and sent on his way to Nineveh, the traditional enemy of Israel.

I am pleased to announce that St. Mary Parish in Chardon will be hosting its annual Lenten Parish Mission on Monday, February 22nd, Tuesday, February 23rd and Wednesday, February 24th from 7:00-8:15 p.m. each evening. “The Faith and Real Life Parish Mission” will be presented by Mr. Greg Wasinski, an internationally known Catholic speaker.

  This Sunday, we celebrate the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. By our baptism, we are all called to be holy. We are called to share our time, talent and treasure to make Christ known, loved and served in our world. Ultimately, we are made by God and for God to know, love and serve him in this life so as to be with God forever in the heavenly kingdom.

As we begin a New Year, the Solemnity of the Epiphany calls us to be people of hope. Certainly, that theological virtue has been tested over the last 10 months with the Coronavirus. Still, today’s readings emphasize the need to embrace that virtue perhaps more than ever.